Why I wanted to try Meituan
On one of my early trips to China, I really wanted to try ordering food directly to my hotel. Delivery riders on scooters are everywhere in Chinese cities, food bags arrive constantly, and at some point I wanted to understand how it actually works as a foreign traveller.
At first, I had no idea. After searching online for a while, I found Meituan, one of China’s best known delivery apps. I downloaded it and quickly realised that it would not be quite that simple.
Chinese app, Chinese number
Meituan was entirely in Chinese. I did not find an English version. On top of that, registration required a Chinese phone number.
Luckily, I had already bought a tourist SIM card from China Mobile at the airport. This is possible for travellers and gives you a Chinese phone number. For many things in China, an eSIM is enough, but for some Chinese apps a local number can be a real advantage.
Registration with a translation app
With a translation app, patience and a lot of trial and error, I worked my way through the registration. Eventually my Chinese number was linked and Meituan worked. But that was only the first step.
The app itself is very extensive. It took me quite a while to understand where to order food, how to enter the hotel address correctly and what actually happens after ordering. The unfamiliar part was simple: where does the food end up when you order it to a hotel?
Food delivery is part of everyday life in China. Around lunchtime, you often see many food bags placed outside hotels, residential buildings, offices and schools.
The hotel address needs to be entered in a way that both the rider and the hotel can understand. At first, this is often the hardest part.
Several riders may arrive at large hotels at the same time. Check that you take your own bag and not someone else’s order.
Where does the food arrive at the hotel?
At first, I always went outside the hotel and waited for the rider. Most delivery riders arrive by scooter, and at larger hotels several riders may show up during the evening. It is worth checking carefully that you take your own order.
Over time, I learned that many hotels have fixed pickup spots for delivered food. Riders leave the order there and guests collect it themselves. Other hotels are more modern: a small hotel robot brings the food directly to the room. At some point it rings, the robot is outside the door, its compartment opens, and your food is inside.
A look inside the Meituan app
The screenshots show why Meituan is not self explanatory at first. The app is extensive, entirely in Chinese and full of categories, offers, restaurants and delivery options. With a translation app and some patience, it becomes usable step by step.
My conclusion
The initial effort was high, but for me it was clearly worth it. I have rarely eaten so cheaply, conveniently and comfortably. Today I use Meituan regularly in China and like it a lot.
Once the app is set up, the Chinese number works and the hotel address is correct, ordering food in China becomes extremely practical.